# NTSB SEA95LA219: Pietenpol AIR-CAMPER, N18GH, Redmond, OR, September 12, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 11, 1995, 18:30 local (Sep 12, 1995, 01:30 UTC) - Place: Redmond, OR - Coordinates: 44.259796, -121.220573 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.2598&lon=-121.2206&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 29, 1996 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 42250 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA95LA219 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/42250/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA95LA219 ## Probable cause a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, unknown - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Nose over, emergency descent/landing ## Analysis WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A POWER LOSS AND FORCED LANDING WHILE OPERATING NEAR THE CLINE FALLS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP. TWO OCCUPANTS WERE REPORTED ABOARD AT THE TIME, HOWEVER, NO IDENTIFICATION OF THE PILOT OR PASSENGER COULD BE MADE. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT'S VERTICAL STABILIZER, LANDING GEAR AND WINGS INDICATED A NOSE OVER EVENT DURING THE FORCED LANDING. WITNESSES FAILED TO RESPOND TO INQUIRIES AS TO THEIR OBSERVATIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A DESCHUTES COUNTY SHERIFF'S REPORT WAS THE ONLY EVIDENCE OBTAINABLE DURING THE INVESTIGATION. ## Factual narrative On September 11, 1995, approximately 1830 hours Pacific daylight time, a homebuilt Pietenpol Air Camper, N18GH, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a power loss while operating in the vicinity of the Cline Falls private airstrip, Redmond, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91. A witness reported to local law enforcement personnel that two individuals were in the aircraft at the time of the accident and that the plane "had been going back and forth on the runway and that they had taken off and were circling around to the north when the plane lost power and took a 30% dive into the field north of the runway" (refer to attached Deschutes County Sheriff's Report of Deputy Jon Clark). Subsequent to the accident, personnel at the site, including Mr. Jerry Parks, advised law enforcement officials that they did not know who the pilot was or his whereabouts. Residents at the Cline Falls airstrip reported that the owner was Mr. Jerry Parks and that "Mr. Brochetti no longer owned the airplane and had sold it to Jerry Parks and maybe some other subject." Mr. Brochetti stated in a telephone conversation that he had, in fact, sold his one- third interest in the aircraft to the two remaining owners, Messrs. Parks and Custard. Mr. Parks was contacted via certified mail and asked to complete NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He responded with a letter stating that he was not the pilot at the time of the accident and did not return the completed form (refer to attached letter). An attempt was made to contact and solicit a statement from witnesses Maragret Wood and James A. Lowe via certified mail. Neither individual responded. FAA inspector Steven Smith, Hillsboro Flight Standards District Office, reportedly examined the aircraft following the accident and reported gas in the aircraft's fuel tank and no evidence of any mechanical malfunction with the aircraft's automotive engine. He also reported that the vertical stabilizer was bent, there was a wrinkle in the top of one wing, that the left main landing gear had separated, all four wing struts were bent, and there were cracks in both wing spars. Deputy Clark stated in his report that during his investigation "one of the subjects from the Hangar that Parks owns" reportedly "made the comment that they didn't want the Fed's to be involved with this." It could not be determined who the pilot of the aircraft was at the time of the accident nor the identity of the passenger and the aircraft was moved from the accident site immediately following the crash and before notification of FAA/NTSB personnel. The investigating NTSB office was notified of the accident four days later after the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N18GH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N18GH-1999-06-30), registration cancelled 1999-06-30, S/N GH1 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIETENPOL AIR-CAMPER - Registry model: [Hagood PIETENPOL AIR-CAMPER](https://openairdocs.org/model/hagood-pietenpol-air-camper) (registry code 7040213) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: GH1 - Engines: CHEVROLET reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Parks, Jerry/Custard, Michael - Departed: 3OR8, CLINE FALLS, OR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; medical: unknown, unknown ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: RDM, 6 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950911036949A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950911036949A), Sep 11, 1995: Amtrpl AIRCAMPER, Redmond, OR, Substantial damage. Engine quit circling strip. Stalled. Pilot of homebuilt not verified. No anomalies found. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.